Rail cover



Jul 28, 1925.-

R. T. HAZELTON RAIL COVER Filed Apf'il 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l 16. 1.17: fl g July 28, 1925. 1,547,750

R. T. HAZELTON RAIL COVER Filed ApfiL 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,547,750 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT '1. HAZELTON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RAIL covEa.

Application filed April 19, 1923. Serial No. 633,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronna'r T. HAZELTON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnatiyin the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Covers, of

which the following specification is a full disclosure.

' This invention relates to improvements in machine tools and particularly to means for the protection of the guides or slide-ways of a metal cutting tool, such as a shaper or the guide or guides, and to further provide means for clearing the upper surfaces of the covers of any foreign substance which may have been deposited thereon, at each reciprocation or translation of the work-table, thereby not only protecting the slide but causing the protecting cover to be cleared, and thereby avoidin transference of cuttin 's from cover to s ide surface.

Knother object of the invention isto prevent cuttings from being drawn or deposited between the work-table and saddle, and between the guard plate and'saddle.

Although my invention is herein shown as applied to machine tools of the shaper class, it may be applied to any .type of machine with which a slide having a translatable carriage thereon, is used.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in wh1ch Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the work-table end of a shaper showing my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of Figure 1 through the base and saddle with the worktable and guard plate shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is an elevation of a second t pe of machine showing my invention app ied thereto.

Figure 4 is an end view of the structure of Flgure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail cross section through one of the rails taken'on line 55, of Figure 3.

Upon the base plate 1 is mounted the main frame 2, only av portion of which is here shown, a rest and guide 3 being mounted at the outer extremity of the base. The main frame is provided with vertical guideways 4 suitably slidably gibbed to which is the carwage or work-table saddle 5, having the sleeved bevel gear 6 rotatably stepped there- .in, the bore of the sleeve being in threaded engagement with a vertical feed screw 7 non-rotatively mounted at one end in the base 1, whereb when the ear is rotated in .a given direction the sad le will be correspondingly translated vertically. Suitably gibbe'd as at 11 to the horizontal guide or slide-way 10 of the saddle is the work-table slide 12, to which is adjustably attached the work-table 15, the outer end of said table being slidably supported by the rest 3. A

horizontal feed screw 16 is in threaded engagement with a nut 17 attached to the work-table slide whereby horizontal translative movement can be imparted, by rotation of the feed screw. The vertical feed screw 7 and gear lie within a cavity provided at the inner side of the saddle, which cavity and contained screw and gear, are protectively housed in a manner now to be described.

The vertical feed screw 7, and gear 6, as well as the gear which meshes with the gear 6, not herein shown, are ,rotectively housed by a plate 20, having tlie outwardly bent lower end 21 overlying the gears. The late 20 is suitably fastened at each side 0 the cavity and completely covers the cavity above the gears, thus'protectingthe same 1 against deposits of metal cuttings or other injurious substances.

p In order to prevent the deposit of metal cuttings or other foreign substance upon the working surface of the rail 10, an L- shaped sheet metal guard rail or plate 21 is disposed between the rail and that portion of the table which overlies the table slide 12. The plate has 'avertical attachin portion 31 fastened as at 32 to the sadd e and has a horizontal rail protecting portion 33 overlying the rail longitudinally thereof. The outer longitudinal edge of the portion 33 is curved downwardly as at 34 into a groove 35 disposed longitudinally of the saddle. This construction prevents the en: trance of cuttingsbeneath the guard plate and between the same and the saddle. lln order to clear the guard plate of foreign substance, plates 37 are provided, in this instance one at each side of the table 15, the said plates being adapted for engagement with suchsubstance to remove the same, at each reciprocation of the table. The plates are preferably attached by screws 38. The work-table is grooved or channeled in its under-side as at '36, the space between the face of said channel and the saddle being greater than the space between the plates 37, and the guard plate 33. The plates 37 may either be spaced a slight distance away from the guard plate 33, or may be frictionally engaged with the plate; both arirangements being contemplated herein.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5, a modification of the invention is shown as applied to another type of machine, comprising a base plate 40 having ways or guides 41, 42 thereon and having the carriage 43 slidably at- ,tached to said guides. The carriage has the usual cross slide 44 thereon, which slide is operated in the usual manner by the screw, not shown. This carriage is provided at relatively opposite sides with parallel openhaving ings or channels 46 therethrough, which channels are preferably formed by coring, to the shape shown.

Loosely traversing each channel is a guard cover 50 in the form of a sheet metal plate the downwardly curved parallel edges 51, said plate being sufliciently resilient to permit of slight flexure when compressibly engaged by the upper edge 52 of the opening 53 of a scraper plate 54, one

bridges the base between points of attach ment, permitting of a slight fissure when the upper edges of the slot of'the scraper plates are comfpressively engaged against the upper sur ace, in such' manner as to nia-intain intimate and constant contact therewith, during the carriage travel in either direction;- The cover plate is thus interposed between the top of the rail and beneath the upper surface of the carriae til in such a manner as to revent foreign sue stances from reaching t e upper surfaces of said slide-ways. At each reciprocation of the carriage, the scraper plates remove any deposits upon the upper surface of the guard covers, throughout the length of carriage movement in each direction. The

best results.

maniac ures l and 2, is yieldably depressible by the scraper plates, thus assuring constant frictional contact between the lower edge of the scraper plate and the upper surface of the cover or guard. Although as shown inthe drawings, the scraper plates are in contact with the upper surface of the guard plate, the same may be spaced a slight distance therefrom, and under certain conditions this arrangement is found to give the In both cases the plate is cleared of cuttings at each reciprocation of the table.

' In the type of tool shown in Figures 3 to 5 inclusive, the bed 49 is provided with a pair of spaced longitudinal parallel ways 41, 42 upon which the carriage 43 is slidably or translatably engaged. One way 42, is of dovetailed formation in cross section, and the other 41, rectangular, the forms however being optional, although of a design to increase the stability of the carriage upon the bed, without increasing the bearing friction resisting translation of the slide. The carriage is of elongated construction providing a forward body portion upon which the cross slide or work-table is translatably mounted, and a tail portion 42,

which terially increasesthe stability of ill) the carriage upon the bed as a base for the cross slide or work-table.

Having described my invention, 1 claim: 1. In combination with a base, having a guide rail, and a carriage translatable upon said rail, a guard plate attached to said base, overlying said rail and underlying said carriage lengthwise thereof, and plates attached to said carriage and disposed adjacent said plate for clearing the same of cuttings at each reciprocation of said carriage.

2. In combination with a base, having a guide rail and a carriage translatable upon said rail, a ard plate attached to said base overlying said rail and disposed beneath the top surface of said carriage lengthwise thereof, and plates carried by said carriage at relatively opposite ends thereof, contact-- ing the upper face of said guard plate.

3. In combination with a base, having a guide rail and a member translatable upon said rail, an elongated plate attached to said base and extending tween said rail and member len hwise thereof, and plates attached to said carriage having edge contact with the upper face of said elongated plate.

4. In combination with a base having a guard rail, and a member translatable upon said rail, a plate attached to said base and yieldably projected between said rail and carriage lengthwise thereof, and plates attached to said carria e at relatively opposite ends thereof, having edge contact with the upper face of said cover plate.

5. In combination with a shaper base, 1

lllll having a guide rail, and work-table trans latable upon said rail, a yieldable guard plate attached to said base extending between said rail and work-table, protectivel overlying said rail longitudinally. thereo plate of an -foreign substance which may 1 have been eposited thereon, at each translation of the table.

6. In combination with a base, havin "a guide rail and. a work-table translata 1e upon said rail, a yieldable plate attached to said base projecting between said rail and work-table, protectively overlying said rail longitudinallythereof, and plates attached to said table having pressure edge contact with said plates, whereby said rail is protected from tit and whereby at each translation of said table the plate will be cleared of any material which may have been deposited thereon.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two, subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT T. HAZELTON. Witnesses:

L. A. BECK, R. Kls'rmm. 

